6 Week Old??? - Minneapolis,MN

My daughter is 7 months now, she started having the same problems when she was 4 weeks. The doctors said colic, milk allergy, and reflux. She started on Similac advance, then to Isomil, then Alimentum, then nutramigen. Dr. Browns bottles are the best, although they are the devil to wash. I used those when her colic was the worst. until about 3 months. then switched to playtex dropins, they are so much easier. I was at the doctor once a week until she was managable. dr. brown also makes a pitcher that mixes the formula with no bubbles, its amazing. she is also on zantac for refux. gerber goodstart formula works exactly the same as nutramigen but less expensive! biggest advice take her to the doctor so they can help!

I'm betting she has reflux. Talk to her ped. and see what he/she thinks. My son acted like this, too. We put him on Prevacid and he felt so much better.
Hope this helps.

Try using a soy formula instead. It sounds like she is milk intolerent. My granddaughter was just like that until her mom switched her to soy formula. Once she was a year or so old we gently reintroduced cow's milk back into her diet and she does fine with it, she just couldn't digest it very well as an infant.

Two ideas come to mind: Does she have acid reflux? That would burn her throat and hurt her tummy....and who can eat or sleep with a burning throat and a tummy ache? My daughter had 7 months of "colic" , wouldn't eat much, cried all the time,.....Zantac (prescription for kids for acid reflux) did help.

Second: is she is having a reaction to the formula......lactose? After you rule out acid reflux try switching to a soy based formula. Ask your doctor about it.

Be patient, watch the signs, remember she will be totally different than your son. This too will pass.....hopefully sooner than later! B.

That sounds like a food allergy to me. I struggled with that with both of our boys were breast fed. I changed what I ate---took our dairy first and that was the biggest problem. Try changing the formula. Earth's best makes a great formula--but it is dairy based. So many kids are sensitive to dairy these days it makes me wonder. There is also an organic soy based one at the coop that I have not tried because soy is so highly processed. When my kids got a little older and did more than just breast milk we did Rice Milk. It seemed to be the easiest on their stomachs. Now we are trying REAL milk, unpasteurized. Because it still has all the wonderful enzymes that help digestion.
I hope something works for you...I feel for you. It is constant work getting that food in...but worth it :)

I haven't read the other posts, but I will tell you what my experience had been with my son and daughter.

1. Neither of them could handle regular formula, so I did soy formula (there are some studies that say the plant estrogen from soy is not good, but I couldn't find a rice based formula)

2. I used the playtex nurser system bottles with the drop in liners with both of them as well. This was a huge help and they don't leak like the dr brown's and avent bottles do.

good luck.

My second child was definitely orse than my first, too...so I can understand the added stress this brings to the family

our daughter was similar. we used nuk bottles, and she sucked really hard too. we had to burp her every ounce otherwise she'd spit up. you might try burping her every half ounce and see if that helps. we also tried just a tiny bit of rice cereal in her formula to help. never enough to make the formula thick or anything, just like 1/4 teaspoon or maybe 1/2 teaspoon at most for every 2-4 ounces. it seemed to help her, so maybe it will help yours?

I was in the same situation... My son ate like a pig from the day I brought him until now (he's 24) LOL... my daughter on the other hand was totally opposite. would only eat 1 or 2 oz. and seemed she never slept. but you have to do what needs done... I just feed her every 2 hours and then she seemed to sleep longer if I put her into bed with me. try warming the bottle of formula at night, or if it continues.. I would call the doc and see if there is another type of formula to give her... best of luck to you....and congrads on the new baby!!

Hi T.,
I can kind of relate to what you're going through except I didn't have the sleep issue. My son who is now 35 years old used to eat very little at a feeding. He would do the same thing , take in very little but he would spit up when I tried giving him more after a burp. The doctor wasn't concerned as he was gaining weight properly. I learned that he might not be as hungry as I would think but he needed the sucking action that a pacifier was good for. I also fed my kids rice cereal in the evening when they were infants which I know isn't approved of by the doctors nowadays but I never had sleep issues with my 3 kids. I don't know if this helps you at all but it worked for me. My son has never been a big eater and he still doesn't eat a lot. Some kids just don't require as much food as others yet still take in what they need. Good luck
Nan

It sounds to me that the formula you have her on is not agreeing with her. I would change the formula to something else. She could even have a milk allergy or to much iron in the formula she is on. Either way go to the drugstore and explain to the pharmacist what is happening. Let them know what she is on and they will recommend something for her. Whatever is in the formula, she's hungry but its not agreeing with her. Thats' why she wants to eat so often and she sucks on her Nuk like she's starving. She probably is. At least she's getting some, but not the right stuff.
Good luck and hopefully your pharmacist gives you some good advice, take care. I do hope for your sake, especially going back to work that something works for you. Sleep will come soon and you won't be so tired.

My kids all went through a little moment like this -- breastfed, but still, it seems developmental -- it was called "cluster feeding" -- lots of little meals in short intervals. It blows over.

I believe 6 weeks is when most babies go through growth spurts and can be very fussy during this time, eating more and sleeping less.
It might be a good idea to try a different formula, maybe something for colic or sensitive stomach but at the same time, a 6 week old has a very small stomach and 2-3 oz every 2 hours or so might not be that off. Talk to your pediatrician. Also, my 6 week old babies never slept more than 3 hours at a time.

Sounds like Colic... my second did this too, although he was BF. I would talk with your dr about changing formulas, maybe to something for more sensitive tummys. The dr can also check for other physical issues that sometimes don't peak until a baby is 2 months old.
Don't push her to eat more. She will get what she needs when she needs it. It can be frustrating, but sometimes 2 oz is all they can take in while you wait for her tummy to grow.

It sounds like its the formula she is on and maybe the bottles. My 1st baby had similar issues when he was on Avent bottles and Enfamil formula. I switched him to Nestle Goodstart formula (its now Gerber Goodstart) and last time I used Playtex Ventaire bottles, this time with my daughter I am using Dr. Browns. Either way, my son stopped having issues when I made those changes and my daughter has never had issues. So, something is causing her to get a lot of air. Some formulas are foamier than others, I also stir my formula to reduce the bubbles. Goodstart is not foamy, but now its just a habit. The bottles also play a big role, some allow more air than others, even if they "say they don't". My son had a hard time with Avent bottles, I think i was the shape of the nipple. I highly recommed Goodstart formula (the Green can with probiotics, this also has been found to help with colic) and Dr. Browns bottles. There are a lot of pieces to these bottles but its not a big deal. Just buy a basket for your dishwasher and throw the small pieces in there. I wish you the best of luck!

There might not be anything "wrong" with her but to make sure - have you called your pediatrician? She could be having a problem with that particular formula, she could have reflux, she could just be colicky. My 6yo son, when he was a baby, had just nightmarish colic. I didn't think he would ever sleep the first 3 months of his life. You could burp him for an hour and he still wouldn't get all the gas out. I finally had to start using goat milk to help calm his stomach down.
Also, the pediatrician will be able to tell you if your daughter is getting enough nutrition. Maybe she is a baby that needs to get up every couple of hours and eat only two ounces. That is how breast fed babies tend to be. My youngest boy, now almost two, had to have a formula called Neosure when he was younger because it has extra calories in it. He was preemie and was so small that they needed him to have something that was giving him enough fuel to burn so he could grow.
All babies are so different. It's good you even noticed! Just call your pediatrician and see what they think. It might be something as simple as changing the formula. Good luck!
J.

this sounds like normal for her.

babies tummies are about the size of their fist. take a look at her fist and think about how much liquid it would take to fill that space. its not a lot. that, combined with the fact that this is the only time (hopefully) in her whole life that her weight will triple by the time she turns one year old... leads to a lot of hunger!

formula can sometimes cause problems with allergies. ive often found it hysterical that they tell you NEVER to give cows milk to babies under a year old, then they make cows milk formula. you could switch to soy, which would help ease or prevent the STRONG risk of allergies.

the thing about babies is they dont think about things the way we do. she literally thinks that shes hungry when she really is hungry. she wont not eat if shes sincerely hungry. each baby is different too, so even though you might have been told to feed her every __ hours, or feed her ___ ounces, its wrong if it doesnt work for her. you have to follow her cues, not schedules or amounts.

just do your best. sadly, you will be tired, you will not get her to sleep through the night. there are things you CAN do to help her sleep "better" but babies are not programmed to sleep "through the night" - do you sleep through the night? (i mean besides baby care - dont all adults get up for a drink, bathroom at least once at night? or even simple as turning over and repositioning? we all do it!) in fact, i would be MUCH more concerned with a baby that slept all the time than one who woke often; thats a built in protective measure from SIDS, and what could be better than that!

the no cry sleep solution is a good book, as is anything by william sears. www.askdrsears.com

Yea that sounds like Colic :( poor Dear ! both of you that is POOR DEARS
I had a hard time with this with my first. simethicone
is the stuff in the Mylicon Katie T was talking about. Miracle stuff ! The wal~mart brand works well and is much cheaper. Bout 3.00 maybe more, I just gave the drops before the feeding.
you may want to buy stock in the stuff.

I was thinking just one more thing, Could she have developed an allergy to LACTOSE ? she may need a Soy based formula. Any history in the family and depending on what ethnicity you are increases her chances. My baby girl is Lactose intolerant. Similar symptoms, GASSY, crying Jag’s and Lack of lengthy sleep.

As a mother of six (1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 15) I have the following questions/advice for you. 1) what kind of formula is she one? Three of my kids had to have sensitive formula because their bodies had a harder time digesting the regular formula. It would cause stomache aches, sometimes bloating, gas, and sometimes alternating between constipation and diahrea, and bouts of spit up. This caused them to not eat much at a time, to suck on their pacifoiers a lot, and to not sleep very well. 2) my seven year old had a huge gas problem that started arround six weeks and lasted a couple of months. It required perscription gas drops and "physical therapy" of sorts that helped move the gas and get it out. 3) are you still using stage one nipples? It could be something as simple as not being able to get the formula out easy enough or fast enough. She could get frustrated or bored and could even be sucking down air then instead of food. 4) is she in bewteen growth spurts cause this can cause a loss in appitite and unusual sleep habits. 5) one of my kids started teething at six weeks. It made him want to chew on everything, but not really eat much and not sleep well. His first tooth did not break through untill arround six months so their was a lot of crying, a lot of nearly sleepless nights, and a who lot of tylenol and oragel used. Hopefully something on this list is helpful to you. I have learned that no two children are alike and that this becomes apparent immediately and keeps life interesting. :ang in there and good luck!

Hi T., I think your daughter might have reflux (GERD). Take her to the doctor to find out for sure. My daughter was the same way at a month old. Every time I would feed her she would just scream, flail her arms out, and arch her back. She would spit up huge amounts everytime she would drink her formula. She wouldn't drink much and she even started losing weight. I took her to the doctor and he said she had reflux. She takes zantac now and is happy as can be. Hope this helps.

Sounds liek my daughter acted when she had reflux - smaller more frequent feedings are etter for them. They will lots of time sleep better, propped up - try the car-seat carrier, the swing or the bouncy seat. Don't force her to hear more than she wants, babies know when they are full, their little tummies are still TINY at this point, and if you over-fill it, she is more likely to have it back up into her throat, causing the fussing and spitting up. I would talk to your ped about it - make sure she is growing fine and gaining weight, and then let your baby lead with how much/often she needs to eat.

Girls and boys are just different, every kid is, so try not to compare them, she sounds JUST Like my little girl was, though she was breastfed, we got her on Infant Prevacid granules and that helped alot with the spitting up and crying. BUT even up tot 12 months, she rarely ever at over 4-5 ounces per bottle, even once she was on all formula. Asa 6 week old she ate ever 2 hours and she would take 45 minutes plus to nurse, and then when she slept it was for short fitful bursts, she fianlly slept through the night at 9 months after she was weaned to all formula. We did have to let her cry it out at that point. We followed the "Helathy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" book, by Dr. Marc Weissbluth.....BUT that said, all you can do when they are this little is make sure you put them down less than 2 hours after they get up, and follow a soothing routine, and make sure the room they sleep in is dark, and quiet - use white noise to block out outside sounds, and room darkenting curtains or shades. You can't do cry it out method of sleep training till after 4 months, sometimes later, depending on the child's temperment.

Good Luck! Every one is so different, you feel like you are starting all over again, learing to take care of each baby!

Jessie

Cluster feedings. My son still does and he is 6 months old. For cholic the only thing that helped him was to be on his tummy. Whenever I held him it was him lying on my arm or tummy time. I actually started tummy time in the hospital. I'd let him lay on me for a minute or two.

Have you tried swaddling her when you feed her ? It may be that she is spitting up because she is getting too much air in her tummy when she is fussing when you are trying to feed her more . With the sleeping mabey if you swaddle her to go to sleep she may sleep longer . I do not know if you do that already or not . Some babies need that comfort when they sleep .

My son did the same thing (10 wks old now). He's my first, so I wasn't sure what to do. Then we found out he has colic. He had been on the same formula since birth and it had seemed to be working fine until he was about 2-3 weeks old. The big clue for us was that he had tummy trouble all day, but in the evening it was waaaaay worse. He did the same thing with eating only 2 ounces, but with him, he seemed to want to eat each time his tummy hurt and while I was feeding him, he would squeeze my fingers really tight, grunt and groan and stiffen his legs and back. Colic develops most of the time when the baby is around 2-3 weeks old, BUT, some children develop it later.
I would talk to your pediatrician and maybe they can switch your formula.
My son is on nutramigen now and it is a wonder formula!

I wish you and your daughter the best of luck!

T. - look in to the book "How to Get Your Kids to Eat, but not too Much." it includes a chapter on infant feeding. Babies are remarkably skilled at regulating their eating. She may have colic or an allergy to the formula, but she may also be full and really not want to eat any more. Good luck.

Sounds like she may be going through a growth spurt. Mine did the same thing, only she's breastfed, but the same basic stuff... fussy, snacking constantly and frequently, etc.

I am not sure that is not normal or it is, but perhaps contact your pediatrician and they may recommend another type of formula? Poor baby I hope you figure something out for her! As far as sleeping habits, every child is different as you can obviously tell :) Perhaps try a different approach than what you did with your first child. Trial & error till you find something that works. Congrats on the new baby by the way!

My daughter did the exact same thing, she's six months old now, but it turned out she had a bacterial infection in her sinuses. After antibiotics she was fine. We didn't find out until she was almost four months old and we were sent to a pedi ent. Good luck, hope this helps!

Sounds like my two children (now ages 28 and 9). It sounds like a tummy ache and may be a sensitivity to milk at this age. Try soy formula. It sure saved my sanity! Twice!

My son with colic did this. I am sorry that I hardly remember (he is 24 now) it all but I can tell you what I do remember. I fed him his little 2oz every 2 hours and kept him upright for 30 minutes afterwards. I would lay him on his belly across my forearm, with his chin in my hand and his legs straddling my elbow. It was kind of like football hold. He would sleep really well like that. It passed but it was rough while it lasted. I do remember how exhausted I was. I would talk to the doctor too because they use a medicine over the counter for it. I think it is called milacon (spell).

I would definitely talk to your pediatrician. It could be that she has reflux which is causing her pain when she eats more than just a little at a time, but only eating a little leaves her hungry a lot of the time. Some babies just aren't good sleepers and she still is very young, so that may or may not be related to any reflux issues. Good luck!